This French train station has an inventive way to entertain passengers

Who doesn't love passing the time on the train with a good book or magazine? But what if you forget your reading material and you're facing a journey where you have to a) look at the seat in front or b) listen to people's weird and wonderful conversations.

Well one clever train station in France has come up with a handy alternative. Instead of turning to your smartphone's intermittent WiFi you can read a short story on the train instead.

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The train station, in Grenoble, have installed FREE short story vending machines. What an amazing invention!

The idea has gone down so well that there'll soon be vending machines in other stations around France too.

There are over 5,000 stories and poems to keep you entertained. You simply print one out and take it away with you.

Getty ImagesJEAN-PIERRE CLATOT/AFP

The free stories have all been written by anonymous writers, and was the idea of publishing house Short Edition, which specialise in short stories.

Short Edition director Christophe Sibieude said: 'Our ambition is to see distributors pop up everywhere to encourage reading – and writing – and to promote our artists.

'The paper medium is a breath of fresh air, it's more unexpected that a smartphone screen.'